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Many people have likely forgotten Superstorm Sandy, as the third anniversary of that devastating storm that ripped up the Eastern Seaboard approaches, but in Connecticut, Westchester Modular Homes of Fairfield County has opened an office in Bethel, CT to continue dealing with the victims of that storm. As courant informs MHProNews, residents are receiving assistance from the government.

Company president Paul Scazlo said, “Our New Jersey branch started shortly before us, but we quickly began getting calls from Connecticut residents to help with their homes. It led into our involvement with the Connecticut Department of Housing’s Community Development Block Grant and the Superstorm Sandy disaster recovery program, which provided funding to victims of the storm, and we became one of the two authorized modular home builders for the fund.”

The company has finished over a dozen modular homes ranging in price from 240,000 to $1.4 million, and from 800 square feet for a postage stamp size lot up to nearly 6,000 square feet, depending upon customization and the customer’s budget.

Much to the surprise of the state, they can complete a house in four to eight weeks, much quicker than the six to eight months it normally rakes for a comparable stick-built home. The company provides 3-D renditions of the home so customers can clearly see a model of exactly what they want. One customer, John McNamara, said “The longest part of the whole process was the application and forms from the town.” ##

A mortgage lender is being sued by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) for allegedly paying bonuses to loan originators that charged consumers higher interest rates in violation of the loan officer compensation rule. The 85th largest lender in the country, Castle and Cooke Mortgage LLC of Salt Lake City is said to have paid 150 loan officers quarterly bonuses ranging from $6,100 to $8,700 for leading borrowers into higher-priced loans. The Bureau

says loan officers who did not charge higher rates did not receive bonuses, and that 1,100 of the loans were illegal. According to what MHProNews has learned from nationalmortgagenews, C&C originated $332 million in loans in the first quarter. The lawsuit seeks restitution and civil penalties, and specifically cites company president Matthew Pineda and senior vice president Buck Hawkins. “We are taking action against the type of practices that precipitated the financial crisis,” said CFPB director Richard Cordray.

MHProNews.com has learned from Calgary, Alberta, Canada Okaply Industries has opened a new factory in Calgary. Based in Oka, Quebec, just north of Montreal, Okaply manufactures pre-finished gypsum, MDF, plywood, particleboard, shelving and moulding for the manufactured and modular housing industries. The company services clients in Canada, parts of the U.S., Chile, Argentina, and Peru. In business for 46 years, HoustonChronicle says the company also purchased robotic feeds for their lamination production lines in Okla and in Calgary. Company president Craig Starke says, “We are one of the companies in the supply chain that is benefiting from the rise in commodity prices for raw materials such as oil, and precious metals. Setting up shop in Calgary is part of our plan to be closer to our customers and grow our business.”